Car-coupling



UNI ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH T. RAINEY, OF MARION, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,196, dated May 5, 1885.

' Application filed February 9, 1885. (No modell To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osnrn T. RAINEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Marion, in the county of Williamson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Gouplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front end of a car equipped with my improved coupling. Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view taken longitudinally through the drawhead. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line :0 w in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 3/ y in Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of the coupling-pin removed from the draw-head.

The same letters refer to the same parts in all the figures. I

This invention relates to that class of carcouplings which are automatic or self acting; and it has for its object to produce a coupling of this class which shall possess superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability, and general efficiency.

With these ends in view the invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings hereto annexed, A designates the drawhead of my improved carcoupling, which is provided with the usual longitudinal recess, B, and beveled mouth or opening 0 for the admission of the link or coupling device. It is also provided with a rearwardly-extending shank, D, by means of which it may be attached in the usual mannor to the frame of the car.

The roof or top of the draw-head is provided on its inner side, near its front end, with a recess or shoulder, E, to receive the upper end of the coupling plate or key "F, which is rounded, so as to fit nicely and swingfreely in said recess or against said shoulder, and which is hinged in such a manner as to turn easily upon a transverse bolt, G, extending through the side walls of the draw-head. Said coupling plate or key extends nearly, but not quite,

to the bottom of the draw-head; Its rear side.

is provided with a screw-threaded recess, H, into which is screwed the lower screw-threaded end of the operating-rod I, for the passage of which a vertical slot, J ,is provided in the top of the drawhead. The ends of said slot are beveled, as shown at K K, in order to enable the operating-rod to swing forward in the act of raising or lifting the plate F for the purpose of uncoupling. The operating-rod extends, as shown in Fig. l, to the top of the car, from which it may be manipulated; and it is made in two parts or sections spliced together at L. The reason of this construction is that the lower section of said operating-rod must be attached to the rear side of the coupling-plate before the latter is inserted into the draw-head, and it must be made so short that; after being'attached to the coupling-plate, it may be readily inserted from the inner or under side through the slot J,-after whichthe transverse hinge-bolt is inserted through the coupling-plate, and the upper section or end of the operating rod bolted or otherwise spliced to the lower section of the same.

The bottom of the draw-head is provided at some distance from the front end with a shoulder, M, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described.

The top of the draw-head is provided at the sides with a pair of lugs, N N, having beveled bearings for a pair of arms or levers, O 0, extending to the sides of the car, and having their inner ends suitably connected to the operating-rod I, which latter may, when desired, be

. readily manipulated by a person stationed on the ground at either side of the car.

P designates the coupling-pin, which consists of a flat metallic plate provided at each end with a lug or shoulder, Q, which is beveled to a point, It, so as to enter readily into the draw-head of the opposite car.

The draw-head is provided. near its front end with vertical openings or perforations S S, to admit an ordinary coupling-pin in case it should be necessary to make connection with a car equipped with the old-fashioned pin-and-link coupling.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the operation and advantages of this invention will be readily understood.

The construction is simple and inexpensive, and old draw-heads may be equipped with my improvement without much difficulty and expense. e

In the process of coupling, when the cars come together the coupling-pin, which has been previously adjusted in one of the drawheads, will enter the draw-head of the opposite car, raising the plate or latch of the same and slipping under it, thus completing the coupling.

When desirable or necessary, the coupling plate or latch of the draw-head in which the pin is first adjusted may be forced downward by means of the operating-rod, thus pressing the inner end of the coupling-pin down in rear of the shoulder Q, and correspondingly raising its outer or front end, so as to guide it with certainty into the opposite draw-head.

It will be noticed that in pulling the strain plate pivoted at its upper end in the top of 0 the draw-head, above the said shoulder, and having the operating-rod secured rigidly to its rear face and extending through a beveled slot in the top of the draw-head, and the coupling-bar having shoulders at its ends, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH T. RAINEY. Witnesses;

A. F. VVHITE, W. W. TIPPY. 

